Journal Staff News; Analysis and Strategy for Worker Health and Safety Protections.

This article focuses on recent developments and challenges in occupational health and safety, highlighting the appointment of Earl Dotter as Editorial Consultant for Photography and his extensive work documenting American workers. It discusses the political and economic impacts of neoliberal policies since the 1970s on occupational disease patterns in New York State, including deregulation, budget cuts, weakened workers' compensation systems, and declining union power, while noting emerging resistance and opportunities for reform. The article also reviews a systematic study linking workers' compensation processes to adverse mental health outcomes, emphasizing the need for improved claimant support and less adversarial interactions. Finally, it presents strategic enforcement approaches by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and state plans to better allocate resources and enhance compliance, particularly protecting vulnerable workers such as immigrants.